Most Active Stories
- The Photo Vault: Courtney's big yawn
- Barack Obama, appointing socialists
- I count seventeen
- In The Union News.
- That was a bad idea
- A parting shot from Linda Flores
- I stopped going out on New Year's eve a long time ago
- Your Abbreviated Editorial Roundup
- Why I'm not going to see "Frost/Nixon"
- Meet the new boss....
- Sources: KATU set to release eyebrow-raising poll showing Merkley in 3rd place
- Monty Python and the Neverending Campaign
- Walker ready with budget-cutting pen
- Rural county voters give serious consideration to a Democrat
- Adamson to be Merkley’s business liaison
- Haugen: Support from ORGOP is like 'holding our jewelry while we get water boarded'
- SD-20: The replacement process for Schrader
- OR-5: County fairs have a Mike Erickson problem
- Perkins Coie takes on Salem
- PolitickerOR Power List 2008
Recent Press Releases
- Sep 23 2008
- Jun 12 2008
Top Tags
PolitickerOR Partners
November 10, 2008 - 3:00pm
News
Hunt is next Speaker of the House
By Britten Chase, PolitickerOR.com ReporterHouse Majority Leader Dave Hunt (D-Clackamas) was elected to be the next Speaker of the House on Saturday when House Democrats met to decide their leadership for the 2009 session.
Hunt will replace current House Speaker Jeff Merkley (D-Portland), who won election to the U.S. Senate on Thursday after defeating U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Pendleton).
“I am honored to be my colleagues’ choice to be Oregon’s next House Speaker,” said Hunt, who was first elected to the House in 2002. “Our job in the 2009 session is to strengthen our economy and protect the gains we made in 2007-08 in education, health care, public safety, renewable energy, infrastructure, and fiscal responsibility. Our focus will be on helping Oregon families make it through these tough times and I am pleased to have such a strong group of colleagues by my side.”
Rep. Arnie Roblan (D-Coos Bay) will be Speaker Pro Tem, replacing outgoing Rep. Diane Rosenbaum (D-Portland), who won election to the State Senate on Tuesday to take over for outgoing State Sen. Kate Brown (D-Portland), who was elected Secretary of State.
Rep. Mary Nolan (D-Portland) will step into Hunt’s shoes as the next House Majority Leader.
“This is a diverse and talented group of people who have been charged by the voters of Oregon to take on our economic challenges and move us to a better future,” Nolan said. “House Democrats are ready to lead all of Oregon forward.”
Rep. Peter Buckley (D-Ashland) will hold onto the Majority Whip position, and will be aided by Rep. Tina Kotek (D-Portland), who is replacing Roblan as Deputy Majority Whip. Rep. Tobias Reed (D-Beaverton) will also serve as Assistant Majority Whip.
Rep. Sara Gelser (D-Corvallis) will once again serve as Assistant Majority Leader regarding policy, and Rep. Phil Barnhart (D-Central Lane and Linn counties) will also maintain his position as Assistant Majority Leader regarding politics.
House Democrats will have a super-majority status in the 2009 legislature after they picked up five more house seats in the election on Tuesday.
Related topics: Dave Hunt, Arnie Roblan, Diane Rosenbaum, Kate Brown, Tina Kotek, Sara Gelser, Mary Nolan, Peter Buckle, Tobias Reed, Jeff Merkley, Phil Barnhart
Syndicate
Dave Hunt
Congratulations Dave! You earned this.
So I guess that takes you out of the running for Kurt Schrader's senate seat???
I see the 2009 session being the most difficult in years so we here in Oregon are looking for you to lead us back to glory. That is if we can realize that the State's budget is going to be a steady fire of revenue shortfalls.
Do I hear a sales tax for Oregon??
Post new comment